[Braedon Goudie]

I regularly am driving up into the rockies in north-eastern Utah to go camping. With a growing family I have started to take a small utility trailer up there but have had to have friends with four wheel drive haul the trailer as we go onto roads that my 2015 Forester cannot handle with the trailer. The last stretch of our drive up to a family camping spot I can make it up with my forester without the trailer but only if I keep a decent amount of momentum as it has both decent size rocks, loose dirt, and is fairly steep.

Does anyone haul a trailer offroad with your Ascent and what has been your experience with X-Mode while towing?

Is this the vehicle or am I going to be forced to buy a monster Suburban/Expedition?!?

 

[Litemike]

I regularly am driving up into the rockies in north-eastern Utah to go camping. With a growing family I have started to take a small utility trailer up there but have had to have friends with four wheel drive haul the trailer as we go onto roads that my 2015 Forester cannot handle with the trailer. The last stretch of our drive up to a family camping spot I can make it up with my forester without the trailer but only if I keep a decent amount of momentum as it has both decent size rocks, loose dirt, and is fairly steep.

Does anyone haul a trailer offroad with your Ascent and what has been your experience with X-Mode while towing?

Is this the vehicle or am I going to be forced to buy a monster Suburban/Expedition?!?

How many times a year? Maybe rent a truck?

 

[Braedon Goudie]

How many times a year? Maybe rent a truck?

Yeah, possibly could. Annoying though to not use my own vehicle.

 

[MAGNUMB]

Personally I would avoid towing and offroading with a CVT in that type of terrain.
With a CVT it seems you need alot of momentum, otherwise I think the car will cut power to prevent CVT damage. Not positive that the Ascent will do this, but check out Fast Lane Car on YT and search Subaru Outback. Fair warning...it's a sad video and drivers are also not the best.

What about getting yourself a used 90's Toyota truck or 1995 GMT400 for a cheap reliable off roader. If you live in that area it might be worthwhile.

 

[Braedon Goudie]

Personally I would avoid towing and offroading with a CVT in that type of terrain.
With a CVT it seems you need alot of momentum, otherwise I think the car will cut power to prevent CVT damage. Not positive that the Ascent will do this, but check out Fast Lane Car on YT and search Subaru Outback. Fair warning...it's a sad video and drivers are also not the best.

What about getting yourself a used 90's Toyota truck or 1995 GMT400 for a cheap reliable off roader. If you live in that area it might be worthwhile.

I watched a few of those Fast Lane videos the other day and was really hoping that someone had a better experience than they did. Comparing the hill that they are on, my hill that I am going up is quite a bit more small bouldery but not quite as technically steep as the one that they were on.

 

[Subiesailor]

I regularly am driving up into the rockies in north-eastern Utah to go camping. With a growing family I have started to take a small utility trailer up there but have had to have friends with four wheel drive haul the trailer as we go onto roads that my 2015 Forester cannot handle with the trailer. The last stretch of our drive up to a family camping spot I can make it up with my forester without the trailer but only if I keep a decent amount of momentum as it has both decent size rocks, loose dirt, and is fairly steep.

Does anyone haul a trailer offroad with your Ascent and what has been your experience with X-Mode while towing?

Is this the vehicle or am I going to be forced to buy a monster Suburban/Expedition?!?

Which Forester? Guess the 2.5 NA. Whats the altitude where this tough spot is? I suspect its the same power issue Fast Lane has. If your up in the 8000+ft range the non turbo suffers altitude sickness and takes a large hit on power. Add that they gave tall 1st gearing its a lack of power that stalls the forward progress.

The Ascent is turbo with lots of grunt at low Rpm. Those two things alone should cure any problems climbing steep stuff at altitude.

 

[MAGNUMB]

Which Forester? Guess the 2.5 NA. Whats the altitude where this tough spot is? I suspect its the same power issue Fast Lane has. If your up in the 8000+ft range the non turbo suffers altitude sickness and takes a large hit on power. Add that they gave tall 1st gearing its a lack of power that stalls the forward progress.

The Ascent is turbo with lots of grunt at low Rpm. Those two things alone should cure any problems climbing steep stuff at altitude.

I think they ran several cars up that hill that are non turbo and under 200hp. Not yet convinced altitude is the main culprit.
I'm hoping someone brings their Ascent to that exact spot to give it a go.